


Dancing With The Stars

by thecattydddy



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 23:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7594021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecattydddy/pseuds/thecattydddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kiku - a young and graceful choreographer - is tasked with writing a ballet, but is at a loss for an idea. Alfred - an optimistic and ambitious astronaut wanna-be - is a science major whose professor has required he right a paper on something within the arts by the end of the semester. The two of them meet and help one another to achieve what both of them struggled to do alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing With The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So this was a birthday present for my friend, Cho/Otakumun, who is confirmed Ameripan trash - It's okay, Fam, 'cuz same - and has requested a Ballet!AU as her birthday gift. I only have the first chapter here, but if it gains some interest or whatever I may write more at another time.
> 
> Happy Birthday, Cho, and I hope it's turned out to be everything you hoped it was! n.n~

For all the things that Alfred had ever thought he’d have found himself doing, standing in front of the NYCB building had never even briefly crossed his mind. Doing so for a physics degree, even less so. And yet, here he was, backpack slung over his shoulder as he blinked up at the building, his mind racing with a million and one thoughts, only some of which having to do with the place he was in now.

This whole thing had begun with a paper his professor had given his class, one that according to former students was a favorite of his, in which individuals would have an entire semester to complete a research paper on a subject within the arts. Students would be required to use credited resources as well as personal experience to create their paper. A few had even failed the course due to unsatisfactory results, but those were few and far in between. Rarer still was the A students, whose papers brought a piece of originality and life to the professor’s grading desk. Alfred had heard plenty of complaining already from his peers about the stupidity of the assignment, most of them insisting that the arts are a waste of time and useless to human development, but Alfred wasn’t going to fall into that trap, himself. That kind of thinking wouldn’t convince his professor that his paper was A material and Alfred was determined to do so.

He could still remember the night he’d picked his subject, sitting around the lounge with some of his friends. Though none of them were in the class themselves, they could more than understand his dilemma. The arts were a mysterious entity known best by, well, the artists. A wanna-be astronaut like him didn’t even know where to start.

_“_ _You could try sculpting,” his baltic friend, Eduard, suggested. The man was a computer science major and an active blogger that Alfred had met one afternoon in the computer lab after his late laptop had passed on. “There is this Italian student currently starting up a Roman History club that’s super cute and one of the top sculptors over in the artist’s building. You know enough about Rome, I bet you could sneak your way in there, win his heart and then get him to basically write your paper for you.”_

_“Are you talking about Lovino? Dude, that guy would eat me alive,” Alfred scoffed, a small amused grin pulling at his lips, “Sure, he’s cute, but I want my head attached to my body at the time of turning my paper in… Besides, I don’t know **that much** about the Romans.”_

_“What about composition? I could probably convince my boyfriend to help you out,” the Hungarian, El, suggested. Genderfluid and eternally self-confident, El had been a valuable member in Alfred’s circle since she’d marched up to him in his freshman year and told him they were friends whether he liked it or not. Her boyfriend Roderich, however, was not the same._

_“Oh please. That fruitcake would drive our little scholar here into quitting school he would be so bad,” Mathias – Math for short – chortled. The dane earned himself a punch in the arm for that comment, which only made him laugh harder._

_“He’s not that bad!” El objected. “He’s just a little rough on the outside. Once you get to know him he can be quite the gentleman.”_

_“If Alfred doesn’t want to deal with the multilayered personality of a talented, attractive and very single Italian, then I highly doubt he’s going to want to make the effort for a man already taken and who can’t cook if it would save his life,” Eduard pointed out, earning him a glare from El as well._

_“He tries,” they replied, huffily._

_“I appreciate the offer, El, but I think it’s probably for the best that I pick something else,” Alfred gave her an almost apologetic grin, “Besides, I think the kid who sits next to me was going to do composition. I don’t want my professor to think I just stole his idea.”_

_“Look, this is stupid. There is a really obvious answer,” Math stated, kicking his feet up on the coffee table, “You gotta pick something that is actually gonna benefit you sometime later. You wanna be an astronaut, right?”_

_“Yeah...” Alfred replied, his brow furrowed in a bit of confusion._

_“God, you’re **such** a geek,” Math grumbled under his breath before continuing. “Which means that you’re probably gonna deal with other astronauts. Especially Russians. Those commies are always getting into the space program to try and show us up.”_

_“Jeez, Math. If you’re not careful, you’re gonna start to go from quirky asshole straight into bigot material,” El rolled their eyes._

_“Listen, shut up,” Math returned. “I met a Russian guy once, so I know what I’m talking about. Tried to flirt with his sister and the dude when batshit… And then his other sister went even more-”_

_“Math,” Alfred interrupted, rubbing his temple. “Your point?"_

_“My point is that you gotta get an in with those Russians so they wont sick their crazy sisters on you!” Math explained. “And you know what all Russians are sluts for?”_

_“Disco?” Eduard offered._

_Math smack him on the back of the head. “Ballet, dumbass!”_

_“Ballet?” Alfred blinked, considering the option around wondering whether his stove was off and internally whining about a paper due in two days._

_“Mathias, that’s probably the worst suggestion I have ever-” El started in, only to be cut short when Alfred interrupted her._

_“Actually, I kinda like it.”_

_“Ha!” Math cheered, pointing a finger at El, “Suck it!”_

_“Get that thing out of my face or I’m gonna bite it off,” El threatened, to which Math simply laughed. Alfred ignored them, considering the suggestion. Despite the Dane’s less than elegant way of presenting it, ballet was actually a good option. Sure, assuming **all** Russians were into it was a little much, but ballet was an interesting piece of Russian culture and it was something that could definitely break the ice. Besides, he’d seen the Nutcracker enough times to not be going in completely blind. Best of all, his mind couldn’t help reminding him that watching a bunch of fit men and women in skin tight clothing dance around as he is sitting there **taking notes** certainly wouldn’t hurt._

So, a couple of phone calls and a meeting with his professor later and he was standing in front of the NYCB. Navigating his way through the crowd passing by on the sidewalk, Alfred pushed open the front doors and navigated his way inside. Near the front area was a bubbly looking brunette, who waved at him once he wandered in. Deciding this must be the individual he’d agreed to meet with, Alfred headed over towards him.

“ _Ciao, ciao_! You must be Alfred! Feli... We spoke a bit on the phone?” He man stepped forward to greet Alfred with a quick peck on either cheek before fluttering off, presumably expecting Alfred to follow him. “I was thrilled to hear you would be doing a paper on the ballet! I’ve spoken to your professor about other students doing this paper in the past, but it’s very rare and I’m always so thrilled when we get another one!”

Alfred let himself have a little bit of a thankful sigh when he heard that. Of course, the idea that he’d been the only one to _ever_ feature ballet in his paper was a little optimistic even for him, but so far the general consensus was that is was not a popular paper topic and that just made his all the more likely to get an A.

“I think you’ll really like it here!” Feli cooed, bouncing along the hallway, the unruly curl atop his head seeming to take on a life of it’s own as he did so. “As you already know, I’m the head administrator for this program, so if you ever need anything you can feel free to come and ask! You’ll find that the dancers and choreographers and crew and designers and everyone are all very nice and will most likely do the same!”

“Great,” Alfred approved, happily. “I really appreciate the help.”

“No problem!” Feli assured him, coming upon a door through which Alfred could hear the sounds of voices. “I’ve set you up to shadow one of our newer choreographers. He is very talented and I have no doubt he will be able to answer any questions you have. Plus, he’s about your age, so you won’t feel awkward having to talk to people so much older than you!”

Alfred didn’t think it was appropriate to mention that he’d been dealing with people far older than him for a long time. That’s what happens when you graduate out of high school at sixteen and knock out a bachelor degree by the time you are eighteen. Age was mostly an insignificant number to the blonde.

“We’re going to head in soon, but you’ll need to take off your street shoes,” Feli informed him. “They are not allowed inside any of the studio.” As Alfred went about taking off his shoes, the other continued to speak praises for the choreographer, calling him a dancing protege and naming all kinds of achievements that the individual had under his belt. Graduating dancing school early and at the top of his class, not to mention his previous successes in his childhood. They seemed to have a lot in common, despite their differing areas of expertise, and Alfred was very much looking forward to meeting them.

Once shoes were removed, Feli gave him a bright smile and pushed the door open, causing the chatter within to die down. All eyes turned to look at them and, with all the mirrors lining the walls, that was a lot of eyes to have staring at someone. “Kiku! I’ve brought the student I told you about!”

Feli seemed to be addressing a young looking Japanese man, who appeared both polite and private upon first impressions. He was fairly fit, wearing the t-shirt and yoga pants combination that must have been fairly typical of the practice if the others in attendance were any indication. He gave Alfred a slight bow, which the college student was a little at loss of how to respond to. He quickly dropped the hand he’d been about to raise back to his side.

Kiku gave him an amused smile, as if knowing what Alfred was doing. He was probably used to such a reaction most of the time. “ _Arigatoo_ , Vargas- _sama_. I am in the middle of a practice at the moment, but if Jones- _san_ would like to sit and observe, he is welcome to.”

“Heh, thanks,” Alfred replied with a brief nod, heading towards the stool Kiku pointed out to him near the piano on the far side of the room.

“It is no problem,” Kiku replied, “We do not mind having something nice to look at while we work.”

Several of the dancers in the room laughed or gave brief calls of agreement. It took Alfred a minute to realize what the other meant and he turned slightly red once he did. A glance at Feli earned him a mischievous eyebrow wiggle before the brunette disappeared from sight, closing the door behind him. Kiku was already trying to move on from the distraction and return to his work, so Alfred did the same, taking his seat and watching the dancers as they went.


End file.
